Tuesday, October 4, 2011

For Shaurya,anyone ?

It is a think-piece of a movie, and a Wogma.com review by Meetu says,'each character is strongly opinionated but very rarely does one choose to lecture the other or the audience'. Fairly true, except when this high-profile witness at a court martial delivers a self-convicting Hindu fundamentalist rant in a fit of smoldering fury.
That's where I felt a bit uncomfortable.Because the court deposition by a witness, sounding like mission statement of a Hindu fundamentalist outfit,is made by a serving army officer,a brigadier to boot. I felt uncomfortable, because we don't (can't afford to)associate the army with such line of thought.I felt uncomfortable, because the story is set in Kashmir. And,lastly,I felt uncomfortable because the storyline would set one thinking of a possibility that a communal mindset in the garb of patriotic fervor may well be lurking in the minds of some of our men in the army.
Viewed in this light,the real hero,I reckon,is the censor board that cleared Shaurya.a movie that makes a provocative social statement.I would be happy to loan the DVD for community viewing at the clubhouse TV room.The DVD has English sub-title, for the benefit of those not familiar with Hindi.
Shaurya is apparently inspired by A Few Good Men (AFGM), a court-martial drama involving US Marines deployed in Gauntanamo Bay, Cuba. Shaurya is set in a forward area,close to LoC in Kashmir.
I couldn't help comparing Kay Kay Menon with Jack Nicholson (in AFGM).But then Wogma reviewer would have us believe that,to get the best out of Shaurya,you block AFGM out of your mind. The reviewer has a point - Kay Kay Menon is no Jack Nicholson.But Kay Kay has a style that has a distinct appeal to desi audience.
Comparison with AFGM, however, works in favour of Rahul Bose,whose performance strengthens the character of the defence lawyer. I wouldn't say the same about Tom Cruise in AFGM - a movie in which the balance of power (of performance) tilts towards Nicholson, decisively.
Mantri residents who favour a TV-room showing of Shaurya at the Clubhouse may call me or leave a comment to this post, so that we could line it up with PropCare

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